2 World Titles, 1 Wrestlemania Match

[MTL722]

So the idea has been floating around that a second World Title will be added to coincide with the brand split. This same thing happened after the first WWE draft, although not immediately. The story went that Brock Lesnar, instead of going back and forth between shows, he would be exclusive to Smackdown. This left Raw without the title until Eric Bischoff brought the big gold belt back for Raw and handed it to HHH

Now, we're under the assumption that both brands will get their own top championship again. My question is Would you be interested in a Champion VS Champion match at WM?

This match would NOT be to unify the title. Instead it would be Raws top guy VS Smackdowns top guy. Wrestlemania for the last few years has struggled putting together big matches between active superstars. Guys like Undertaker, HHH, The Rock, Shane and others have been leaned on to provide a big match feel. If built correctly, what bigger match could we have than the 2 top guys going head to head for bragging rights?

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Sure, then the Smackdown champ can win the match and WWE can trick us into thinking the brands are equal.

 

[Azane]

Ya... the Main event for WM meaning nothing, kind of defeats the point. Sorry, the bragging rights thing has never mattered to me, because the brands don't compete, they try to feed eachother, so it always comes off so forced when they do said story. The Royal Rumble -> Wrestlemania story can still work, as long as they stop being dummies with their Picks on who wins.

 

[Charismatic Enigma]

Sure, then the Smackdown champ can win the match and WWE can trick us into thinking the brands are equal.

I feel like this is their entire "we think we're so clever" game plan for the brand split this time. We'll give the WWE CHAMPIONSHIP to Smackdown, we'll put ___ (Cena, Lesnar, etc.) on SD, etc.

The truth is after 17 years of being convinced SD is the B show, especially when the A show isn't always that interesting, there is nothing they can do outside of several years of solid programing to change that stigma.

Wrestling fans have 23 years of conditioning to believe that Monday Night Raw is the only must see WWE show, and a few cheap ploys won't change that perception.


As to the original post...I like the idea fine, but it's all about booking, champ vs champ just for the sake of with no belt on the line isn't all that enticing. They would have to do something to give it a hook, where they keep messing with each other on twitter, in interviews, randomly show up and interfere on each others shows. It would have to be a slow burn over the course of like 3 or 4 months to really make us care, and it would have to be a one time only thing. Maybe between two guys who've never worked together before.

 

[rbv13]

This conversation happened just last week.

http://forums.wrestlezone.com/showthread.php?t=314857

The overwhelming senses was this is a terrible idea. It completely devalues the World Championships on the company's biggest night. It removes the element of awe and surprise created by title changes. It reverts the Rumble match back to its original simplistic form. It forces creative into a position where they are annually trying to develop different takes on the same old story. There are many more arguments made in the above link.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Simpsons did it! Simpsons did it!

Excuse me if this idea has already been proposed, but what would you think? It would mirror what a lot of professional sports do (East vs West, AL vs NL, NFC vs AFC, etc).

Of course, there would be some loose ends to tie up. Maybe the winner of the RR the next night on Raw chooses to fight the Raw or SD champion at No Way Out. From then on, the road to Wrestlemania would be Raw's best guy versus Smackdown's best guy. Maybe the winner makes the loser switch brands and causes a tournament of sorts to crown the new champion of the other brand. Or maybe just a huge corny trophy that the brand gets to hold for the year.

OK, maybe not the exact same. This thread doesn't mention a corny trophy. As far as what I think:

I'm not a brand purist by any means. I tend to enjoy when stories cross two shows. But this idea is too vanilla. Some would argue that conference winners competing for the title in legit sports has robbed us of better championship games or series.

Not that the Rumble winner story is that exciting any more. But this can be saved for a one off event or secondary PPV, as the WM main event it feels too manufactured.

I totally agree with this guy here because he is me and I am him.

 

[ShinChan]

I have said it before and I am gonna repeat that this match isn't worthy of Wrestlemania or Summerslam.

I am all on for this match being held at Night Of Champions. It would really suit the gimmick of the PPV.

Without a potential challenger at Wrestlemania or Summerslam, the title match lacks the intrigue a main event should possess.

 

[Spencesc11]

This match doesn't need to happen period! If your doing a brand split you need to keep them split, this match only de-values one of the champions. Now if you want a Team Raw vs. Team Smackdown match headlined by the 2 champions then that would make sense.

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

I have no problem with this happening, but at any other show except Wrestlemania.

The Clash of Champions PPV sounds great for that scenario.

Also have US Champion vs IC Champion.

Or a Bragging Rights PPV with the addition of a multi-man tag team SD vs RAW elimination match and a card full of SD vs RAW matches.

Suervivor Series could also become the show where Smackdown faces RAW.

US Champion vs IC Champion
WWE Tag Team Champions vs World Tag Team Champions
5-on-5 Women's SD vs RAW Elimination match
5-on-5 Men's SD vs RAW Elimination match
WWE Champion vs WH Champion

Seems like a solid card to me for Survivor Series.

 

[LODemolition]

Nah, all that's gonna do is make the brand of the loser look weak. If it's all about making 2 equal brands, then a match like this would completely defeat the purpose. If they absolutely must do a champ vs champ match though, then I was thinking the same as a couple people mentioned above. Night of Champions/Clash of the Champions would be the appropriate ppv to do it, NOT WrestleMania. And I would go all out with the US champ vs IC champ, and tag champs of each brand facing off (assuming each show would have their own tag champs). Overall, it's somethino I could do without though. I'm all for keeping Raw and SD 100% separate. Once guys start jumping from one show to another, it'll get to be a big cluttered mess.

 

[yourdamnluck]

Will never work. Not at mania, may be a network only PPV but not Mania.
Titles must be on the line at the biggest show of the year otherwise it degrades the entire PPV.